Fitzgerald excited by potential of Under 20 Footballers following extended campaign

By Shane Brophy

It’s always darkest before the dawn!

While Tipperary football might be at a low ebb at senior level, the green shoots are there at underage that the talent is coming through once more that their fortunes could rise sooner rather than later.

Niall Fitzgerald is to the forefront of that revival, having completed his second year as under 20 manager as he along with his former senior playing colleagues Paddy O’Flaherty, Kevin Mulryan, Cian Maher and Paddy O’Gorman, as well as coach Cian McNally, aim to improve the competitiveness of the players, and that was helped by playing six games in as many weeks, as many as they had played in the last four years combined in the old knockout format.

“I was one of those people who called for a change in the championship structure,” Fitzgerald said following the loss to Kerry last week which brought their campaign to an end.

“I knew how important it is for counties like Tipperary. This group have improved in every game. We have used different players at different times. You can’t replicate that kind of development. We learnt a lot of tough lessons today and they are tough lessons that they can bring forward and learn from, I have no doubt.”

The six-games saw Tipperary start off with a draw against Limerick followed by wins over Waterford and Clare (x2) to at least return the county to being the best of the rest behind the big 2 of Cork and Kerry.

However, in their performances against those sides, they were well structured, playing attractive flowing football, with the only shortcoming being their wastefulness in front of goal. However, that is an aspect that can be developed, and Fitzgerald lauded the mentality of this group whom he feels have the ingredients to be the backbone of a new Tipperary senior team going forward.

“That is a trademark of that group of players, there is such grit and determination there,” he revealed.

“That is evident in training as well. We do push them really hard, and we expect high standards from them, but they answer that. The attitude is excellent.

“That is why it is not just the talent that we are looking forward to seeing going into the senior set-up, there are also some fantastic leaders and strong characters that would be welcome in any dressing room.”

He added: “The seniors had a disappointing result in the championship and there has been a real drain of talent over the last few years but there is a core group of young players coming and I am excited by the future with them.

“It is not just the talent, there is real steel in that group. They are a brave group of young fells with a fantastic attitude, who are very coachable. there are a lot of players in that dressing room that can go on and have bright senior careers for Tipperary.”

Niall Fitzgerald has all the attributes of a man ideally suited to taking these players to the next level and is a future senior manager in waiting. However, for the moment he is set to remain with the under 20’s next year where twenty of the panel are underage for 2025 when they can realistically target reaching a Munster Final with that level of experience and potential.

However, for those that have come to the end of their underage careers, the Moyle Rovers clubman feels it is essential they are monitored immediately with the intention of bringing them into the senior set-up.

“I would be very anxious that lads who are overage for under 20 next year are grabbed a hold of by the senior set-up in terms of developing them, strength & conditioning wise, with a view to looking at them next year at the very least,” he concluded.